The Cat That Speaks My Love’s Name
by Creasias
Summary: Tezuka thinks about his and Ryoma's cat, Karupin. TezuRyo


**Disclaimer:** Anime…Not mine.

**AN Note: **This idea just popped out of nowhere when I was trying to type a new chapter for my "Two Tezukas?!" fic. This is considered an interlude/companion fic/Epilogue2 of my story so you may not understand their situation that easily. I can't add this as a chapter since they are already lovers in this fic and I'm only beginning with the story.

I double check the PoT episodes and lo and behold! Karupin is sometimes meowing her master's name! Enjoy!

**The Cat That Speaks My Love's Name**

It was Sunday afternoon in the Echizen household when Tezuka Kunimitsu felt himself completely bored. Ryoma's mother and father went out together for Rinko-san's business parties earlier and Nanako left early in the morning to finish her group project at he colleague's home. He sighs to himself as he remembers he was kicked out of his and Ryoma's room when said boy told him that he plans to clean their room. Their room was nor unkempt or anything of the sort, but the two of them only uses their dresser and bed.

Kunimitsu sighs. After the youngest Echizen ordered him to get out of their room, he randomly picks up a random book(that he didn't notice the title at first, but after brushing the pile of dust from the cover, he later learned that it's his copy of the classic, **Don Quixote**) and lied on the living room couch – no, **their **couch.

Ever since the Echizens adopted him after his parent's untimely death, he never had the time for self pity or remorse; his new family made sure of that. There was never a dull moment in his life in this home. Though he still remains studious at school, he finds himself always ready to go out with his "little brother" and just have some fun whenever the two of them meet. Whether in the arcades or in the tennis court or even other sports that the two of them caught a fancy at the moment, they would always have as much fun as possible, and at the end of their little "date" (The two of them never admitting that it IS a date considering what other ahem things they do when they're alone together on their little excursions) they would always stop by a small building, and one of them would always buy something in the store. Yes! The two of them always go to the pet store to buy toys for **their** beloved cat, Karupin.

Ever since the former Seigaku captain saw his kouhai's beloved cat, he knew that this cat must be very special to the boy. With the cat's sleek fur, well trimmed nails and chubby frame, you could already sense that Karupin was completely pampered by her young owner. But now, with addition to Ryoma's occasional buying of cat toys and Tezuka's splurging on the cat's hygiene and stomach, the cat is spoiled rotten.

Karupin is really charming to her owners. There are even times that the plump cat would be so affectionate to her young owners that the family just looks awed at the cuteness they depict to them. It was almost similar as to when he and Ryoma just finished a practice match and the other boy would smile warmly at him which in turn, would make him feel butterflies flying around his stomach. Also, the cat's insistence to always play with his lover when they get home from tennis practice is also an endearing characteristic of the Himalayan cat. Tezuka could even say that it's Ryoma and their pet's routine to end their day playing together and after awhile, he was also added to their routine. He would always watch them on the porch, amusement easily seen in his eyes as his young love smile at Karupin's antics, and as they all grew tired, they would always retire to their room together.

It fascinates him that Karupin has inherited her master's personality. Seriously, how many cats have you seen refusing good tuna just because it doesn't know you? It's cautiousness to others is really outstanding and very human like. Her snobbish attitude toward other people is also a dead giveaway as to whom her owner is. He would even think that Karupin has the mind of a human being in those times.

He really does get along with Karupin as much as he does with Ryoma, and Karupin as affectionate to him as to her own master. In fact, she treats him as she treats her master and at times, favors him more than Ryoma (to Tezuka's amusement and to Ryoma's glare to the innocent feline that says "Traitor!"). Everything is fine with just the three of them, but there is one thing that the bespectacled man and the cat didn't agree on: How to share Ryoma's attention. These were the times when he feels that he is vying for Ryoma's interest against the darned cat. Karupin always act as if she is an overprotective mother whenever the two lovers start to get intimate with each other. A good example of this was the time when the aforementioned younger boy insists to take a bath with him since it was a long time (5days) since they had ever been alone in the house. It was really embarrassing for him to look at the cat who was staring at them in the bathroom and looking at him like his back is a big scratching post while said cat was crying for his owner's undivided attention which, sadly, she got. There was also the time when he almost accidentally threw the cat to the nearest wall at the sudden sting on his right arm, if not for his restraint and the sight of Ryoma's panicked face. It was just a good night kiss! What more if it's you-know-what is to take place within her presence?

Tezuka sighed from the thought coming out of him. 'Why am I thinking of Karupin anyway?' He thought rubbing his right hand to his tired eyes and closes the book he was supposed to be reading. As he returns from his thoughts, he hears the faint creaking of his and Ryoma's bedroom door opening. He looks up to see no one in particular.

"Ryoma." The familiar meowing of the cat makes him look downward. This was the thing that most intrigues (and also freaks) him about their cat. How does she say her master's name perfectly? Tezuka frowns as he sees the small cat trying to pull his drawstring pants urging him to follow her just as a dog would do to its master. Another bout of meowing "Ryoma" later, he's been convinced by the cat to haul his ass to his and the child prodigy's room. When he got there though, he paled at the sight before him: There is Ryoma, half lying on their dusty bed, with his breath ragged to the other human's ears and cheeks red. Tezuka rushes to his sick lover, scooping the boy up and went back to the living room and laid him to the sofa he had occupied.

'Stupid! Stupid,' the high schooler chided himself mentally as he retrieves various items from the medical kit under the center table of the room. 'How could I not notice that he's sick?' he shouted at himself for his incompetence to take care of his lover. Pulling out a thermometer from the kit, he puts it on Ryoma's mouth, and went to the kitchen to retrieve some ice for the ice pack. After making sure that the other boy looks comfortable enough, he put the cool material on the boy's forehead.

"Kunibo…" the boy softly sighed. Relief flooded over Tezuka's frazzled mind at that word and kneeled beside his sick beloved. Picking up the thermometer that had fallen on the floor, he looks at the flashing digital numbers attach to it.

"You're having a fever of 39 degrees right now. You should rest." He told the sleeping boy. Karupin, who was looking at the two humans, meowed "Ryoma" one more time before jumping on her sick master's chest. Kunimitsu, afraid that Karupin would wake the boy up, tried to take the Himalayan away from her master. Ryoma, feeling the soft touch on his chest, cuddled the cat to his chest taking Tezuka's hand with him.

Tezuka sighs at his predicament as he fixes the icepack with his free hand. Either he risks waking Ryoma's hand with his movements and sooth the boy verbally from his pain or stay this and wake for him to wake up on his home.

That's easy enough to answer.

------TEZURYOTEZURYOTEZURYOTEZURYO------

That night, when Nanako returned from her friend's house, she was surprised to find the two tennis prodigies sleeping in the living room. One had tucked his head with one hand while the other is connected to the sleeping boy on the couch. The said boy is also clutching his beloved cat with the older boy's hand as if his life depended on it. The cat, on the other hand, is wide awake, staring at the newcomer.

"Konbanwa, Karupin." She greeted the cat as she takes off her shoes, and to her surprise, the cat greeted back.

With a soft purr at the end of her cry, Nanako swore that Karupin had just meowed "Kuni".

---- Owari----------------

**Author's Note: ** If you want to find out why Ryoma and Tezuka is sleeping together, please wait for my updates in "Two Tezukas?!" I haven't finished the next chapter (which would explain all this) so please be patient with me!

Karupin is really speaking! I thought I was hallucinating, but I asked my nephew to watch it with me and he said, "Yes, the freakin cat called Ryoma's name!" Phew! Thank god that I'm not going insane. Thanks for reading 'til the end!


End file.
